Numerous government and news organisations are raising a the alarm on the latest Java 7 security threat. Potentially affecting all platforms, the exploit is already being used “massively in the wild” to allow the installation of malicious software on the computers of unsuspecting users. In short, users running Java with a web browser plugin enabled, run the risk of being infected by certain compromised websites. At current there is no fix available for this issue, and no news from Oracle as to when one might be available. Apparently, Apple have released an update to stop Mac OS X systems from using Java until a fix is released.

To keep yourself safe, do the following:

• Test to see if you have Java installed (instructions).
• Remove Java from your computer (Windows, Mac).
• If you really must run Java outside of your browser (for example, in using a desktop app), disable it in your browser (instructions).
• Run some anti-malware software to check for malicious software installed on your computer (e.g. Avast for Mac, Sophos for Mac both free)